Air-cushion kneepad



Jan. 30, l945. R. A. TERRY AIR-CUSHION KNEE PAD Filed March 18, 1944 fifi wuvrvbob Roberi H. Te rffy v Patented `Ian. 30, 1945 UNITED e STATES l PATENT OFFICE l I 2368,43?, j l

Are-CUSHION KNEEPAD Robert AfTeri-y, Lodi, Calif. Appliction'March 1s, 1944, serial N0.'527,o71

1 claim. (ci. 2424) i This invention relates to knee pads such as are used by kneeling workers in the fields where.

The principal object of'my. invention is to provide a pad for the purpose which includes a 10neu-l matic cushion member or bladder so mounted and conned that only a negative pressure withinthe bladder is sufficient to provide the desired knee supporting and soft cushioning action, and without any possibility of the bladder collapsing under the weight thereon.`

Another object is to mount the bladder and its confining means in the supporting shoe so that and elsei moved from the'casing 4through the slit 6. The

bladder is providedwith a valve of` the type com'- rnonly used in football bladders and the like, in-

- 4dicated'at 9, andl which projects through the end they may be readily removed from the shoe as aunit, while at the same time the bladder may be 'i independentlyfremoved from said conning means at any time, if desired. In this manner, the shoe and confining means (which is preferably acanvas casing) may be readily replaced if Worn, or f the pneumatic bladder repaired or replaced, with a minimum of time and expense, and without having to discard the entire pad.

A further object of the invention is to produce a simple and inexpensive device and yet one which will be exceedingly effective for the purpose for which it is designed.

, These objects I accomplish by means of such 'structure and relative arrangement of parts as I will fully appear by a perusal of the following specification and claim.

In the drawing similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several views: f

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the improved j pad. y y

Figure 2 is a longitudinal section ofthe same. Referring now more particularlyto the` characters of reference on the drawing, the pad coml prises a rigid supporting base or yshoe I, of rectangular form in plan land'preferably made of a suitable wear-resistant vbut light plasticmaterial.

" Y. The shoe includes a flat, ground-engaging base 2,

side and front end walls 3 of equal height, and

y `detail may be resorted to as 4do not forma de-k a shorter back end'Wall; the side walls 3 curvv ing downwardly to meet the wall 4 as shown.

A rectangular casing 5 of canvas 'or similar tough and non-stretchable but flexible material", removably and closely fits Within the shoe, prefwall of the casing in the portion thereof exposed above the end wall 4.

1 The shoe on one side/is provided with a pair rof longitudinally spaced strips l0 adapted to coop erate with conventional buckles l l secured on the4v shoe on the opposite side, and by means of which the pad is strapped to the knee.

In useLit is only necessary to inflate the blad--4 der `8 sufficient to cause the same to be self-sustaining, or so' as to completely ll and hold the casing relatively taut without tending to stretch the same. The bladder thus has only sufficient air vtherein to provide a yielding and soft cushion when the weight of the user is placed thereon, and which enables such user to work in comfort for an indefinite period, and regardless of the type of ground `or other surface on which the shoe of thelpad is resting. This is made possible by the use of the bladder enclosing casing, which conf` fines the bladder against upward deformation,

when the air in the tube becomes compressed y The when sustaining the weight of the wearer. low ba-ck wall l of the shoe prevents possible contact of the same with' the leg of the wearer when the bladder becomes depressed inthe shoe. l

From. the foregoing description it will be readily seen that I have produced such a device as substantially fulfillsthe objects of the invention as set forth herein.

y whnethis specification sets rorthk in detail the present and preferred construction of the device, still in practice such deviations from such parture from the spirit" of the invention, as defined by theappended claim. v y

Having thus described my invention,` what I claim as new and useful and desire to secure by LettersPatent is: l

1A knee pad consisting of a substantially rectangular' rigid shoe, a substantially rectangular pneumatic pad within the shoe, such pad comprising a fabric cover of a size to t snugly withlng within the casing, being inserted in or re- 55 in the confines of the sides of the shoefand a hollow inflatable rubber bladder fittedinto the cover and which bladder, when infiated,conforms` to the rectangular walls of the cover, the'rigid walls of the shoe then preventing any deforma#` tion of the pneumatic pad in any direction exl cept about the knee of the wearer of the pad.l

ROBERT A. TERRY. 

